Alex Astridge makes Winter Olympic debut for UAE
The 19-year-old had a difficult opening round
Alex Astridge made his debut for the UAE in the Winter Olympics on Monday in the men’s slalom competition.
The conditions were tough for many competitors, and Astridge was one of several athletes who were unable to complete the course.
Astridge did not finish his run, he was marked DNF in the opening slalom race and therefore did not record a time or place in the event.
Himself and Piera Hudson became the first ever team to compete for the UAE at the Winter Olympics, having now both faced the snow in Milan.
Hudson had a positive first run of the giant slalom on Sunday, finishing 42nd in 1:08.01, 4.78 seconds behind the leader, putting her outside medal contention but still marking a solid Olympic performance; however, she did not finish the more demanding second run (DNF).
Despite the disappointing result, the duo can take immense pride in their achievement, proudly flying the flag for the UAE and inspiring the nation’s athletes to believe that competing at the Winter Olympics is within their reach.
Both Astridge and Hudson honed their skills at Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort inside Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates, proving that winter dreams can start in the desert.
Talking about the experience Alex previously said: “This is the biggest milestone of my life, and I hope to make not just myself proud, but the entire country, whose incredible support for myself and Piera in the lead-up to the Olympics has meant so much.”
Hudson highlighted the important role she and Astridge can play in inspiring the younger generation to pursue winter sports opportunities in Dubai.
She said: “I don’t have a specific rank that I want to achieve at these Olympics, Beyond the games I would love for my participation to inspire the next generation, I think it’s super important to have visibility and identity in different kinds of sports.
“There will be kids out there that may not even know that winter sports could be an option for them, so to see the UAE represented on the world’s biggest stage is a huge thing."
